Video security systems require large computer networks in order to respond to modern security requirements. Typically, hundreds of cameras and peripheral devices require installation and maintenance to produce satisfactory results. System maintenance requires substantial professional time to carry out. Further, system expansion and upgrade require considerable configuration and professional attention, for example, providing power to each device, connecting a data link from each device to local monitoring equipment, providing a communications link between a central security site and the local monitoring equipment within each building on a campus, assigning locations and ports to each device, and the manipulation and storage of video and other data streaming from the devices. All are currently labor intensive tasks which are prone to error and repetition.
Modern security networks benefit from the technology of Ethernet networks and IP routing. But, as the size of the network grows, manageability of the system often becomes an overwhelming task. For example, system maintenance requires an IT team to service the network, assign routers to subnetworks of security devices, set up the routers to route signals properly using combinations of DHCP and static routing assignments, and track of routing tables as the security network grows.
In some cases, large security systems have multiple campuses monitored at a single security site, necessitating use of the Internet. However, use of the Internet adds the issues of management of firewalls and other security considerations. The use of Ethernet, IP routing and the interest in security systems raises the need for automatic configuration.
Upgrade of a security system presents additional challenges. For example, no generally accepted standard for IP video systems exists. Each IP security camera and device typically requires a proprietary driver used for configuration and monitoring. Proprietary drivers require installation and constant update. The installation and upgrade process is therefore time consuming and unwieldy. The result is a need for a “plug and play” format for IP security devices to eliminate upgrade issues.
In many security systems, digital video recorders are employed to store video data from multiple cameras. Video data is typically stored in a database. Such databases soon become extremely large and unwieldy. Monitoring and maintenance of the database and elimination of unwanted data presents an additional challenge to the maintenance and upgrade of security systems.
Modern cameras used in security systems can perform many tasks internally. Examples are managing and controlling pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) control, sensing I/O events, sensing audio events, providing a web interface on the camera for log in, controlling the camera parameters and event handling, and video analytics, such as motion detection. Examples are discussed in “AXIS and Intelligent Video (IV)” from Axis Communications, published 2009, incorporated by reference. However, to accomplish these tasks, configuration of the cameras must be done at installation. Further, greater capability of cameras results in more complex and time consuming installations.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,543,327 to Kaplinsky attempts to answer some of the issues in facing video security systems. For example, this patent discloses a video system including one or more high resolution network video cameras creating full field reduced resolution views and full resolution subwindow views. The video cameras are capable of simultaneously generating a full field of view reduced-resolution of an image and a full-resolution sub-window of the image. The computer is configured to receive images from the video cameras via a computer network and display the images on the monitor in which a full field view of the image and a sub-window of the image are displayed on the monitor simultaneously. Kaplinsky does not disclose or suggest “plug and play” camera detection or multiple automatic video services.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US2007/0226616 to Gagvani, et al, discloses a security system including a network with a plurality of sensors having network addresses, each generating sensing data. Software on the computer network communicates with the sensors and manages a display showing sensors in the system. A managing component communicates with the sensors by access through the associated network address on the network, and processes sensor information received from the sensors. The managing component has a display with an interface screen showing to a user all the sensors in the security system, and an input device through which the user can enter interactive instructions to the managing component. Gagvani et al does not disclose automatic detection of cameras or automatic configuration.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US2003/0117500 to Lin discloses a network video recording system which includes a video server controlling a video camera. A monitoring device connected to the video server which monitors the video image. The system includes at least one video server, at least one network storage device, and a monitoring device. The video server controls a video camera in order to obtain video image data by video recording, and sends the data via a network. The network storage device is connected to the video server with the network to receive the video image data sent by the same via the network and stores the video image data. The monitoring device is connected to the video server and the network storage device with the network for monitoring the video image data sent by the video server. The monitoring device may be used as a monitoring interface, or control the network storage device to send the video image data stored to the monitoring device for required inspection. However, Lin does not disclose automatic configuration or detection of video devices.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US2008/0199155 to Hagens, et al, discloses a server-based software application which collects video images from cameras and sends them to a data collection device connected to a data center which stores the video images and transmits them on demand. Digital video recorders (DVRs) collect media (such as video with or without audio) and record it to a local disk. DVRs are located at sites where they are attached to cameras, microphones and point-of-sale (POS), or other data collection devices. A server-based application makes the data collected accessible to users. Viewers can then connect to the DVR and its corresponding media collection devices (such as cameras, microphones and POS devices) and control collection and use of media information directly. Hagens et al does not disclose “plug and play” camera applications or processing of event-driven camera actions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,855,729 to Onodera discloses a video recording system which includes multiple cameras and video recorders. The monitor cameras are assigned to the video recorders in a manner such that each of the video recorders corresponds to at least one assigned monitor camera. Each of the monitor cameras sends its video signal to the assigned one of the video recorders. The video recorders record the video signals sent from the cameras. A failure detection system operates to locate failing of the video recorders. When detected, the assignment of the cameras to the video recorders changes so that the camera assigned to the failed video recorder is assigned to another video recorder. However, Onodera does not disclose “plug and play” camera detection, event-driven activities, or any monitoring of a video database.
Network switches often provide a mechanism to bind an Ethernet port to a client device with a particular media access control (MAC) address. This enhances the security of the system by limiting communications over that port to a single designated device. However, presently this mechanism is often not used because it greatly increases the administrative workload of setting up the system. In the prior art, each client device must be investigated and its MAC address determined. This can be done physically by inspecting the label on the device, or programmatically by establishing an Ethernet connection to the device and then requesting its MAC address. Common consumer software utilities do not conveniently generate a list of those addresses and so the task of gathering this information is arduous. Once the list of MAC addresses is gathered, it must be manually entered one at a time into the Ethernet network switch device in order for the binding to occur. Because of the manual nature of this task, proper operation of the client device must then be tested.